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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28201251">Just Like Two Womp Rats...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SneakyBunyip/pseuds/SneakyBunyip'>SneakyBunyip</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>But a good kind of broken?, Fluff, Gave the bartender a name because "weequay" aint it!, Heaps of praise if you recognize the name!, M/M, My heart is broken so I wrote this to make myself feel better, its complicated, season 2 finale spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:33:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,532</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28201251</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SneakyBunyip/pseuds/SneakyBunyip</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>How does Cobb explain that the Mandalorian, a man that didn’t have a name or a face to him, was Cobb Vanth’s Person?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>305</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Like Two Womp Rats...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic has a lot of American Southwestern Slang in it. So if you are hung up on any of the terms, shoot me a comment and I'll translate! Thanks for reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cobb didn’t recognize the ship, and that usually meant trouble.</p><p> But Cobb was always ready for trouble. Armor or none, he was gonna teach these newcomers that Mos Pelgo ain’t to be trifled with. </p><p>This was his town. </p><p>These were his people.</p><p>...But then...<em> He </em>came walking down the ramp, armor plates shining twice as bright in the twin-sunlight.</p><p>The Mandalorian had returned. Cobb's Person came back...</p><p>
  <em> My Person. Damn that Queequigg for puttin’ such an idea in my head, but he’s right. Ain’t fair, but there it is. </em>
</p><p>“My Person” was a concept the weequay bartender brought up right after Mando left while Cobb was drowning in a bottle of spotchka. </p><p><em> “When weequays love someone, it’s all-in or nothing,” </em> Queequigg had said. <em> “Once someone is Your Person, that’s it. It’s terminal. Whether the feelings are returned or not you will never recover from it. Worst case scenario yer just a starplankton pining for the purgill. Best case, yer two womp rats hooked at the tail. Time tells us everything.” </em></p><p>Cobb always hoped for the womp rat situation, even if he ain’t much for rodents.</p><p>Cobb leaned against the doorway of the Weequay’s Cantina, thumbs hooked on his belt, red bandana fluttering in the cool breeze of a conditioned air unit. He had an easy smile on his face, but it showed teeth. A grin too wide to be a smirk, too muted for the glee bouncing around his chest.</p><p>Cobb had imagined this moment more times than he’d ever admit, but seeing him now, the Mandalorian, his Person, walking towards him with purpose...well...how could Cobb keep his sabacc cards hidden at a time like this.</p><p>“Hey, Partner…” </p><p>Mando’s boots chimed on the wooden porch like spurs. “Hi.”</p><p>The dry tone of Mando’s voice cracked, even with that one syllable. </p><p>Cobb’s smile vanished. “What happened?”</p><p>Mando’s visor lowered. His shoulders hunkered ever so slightly. “I...don’t want to talk about it.”</p><p>It was the kid. It had to be. The kid was always at his ankle, but not today. </p><p>Cobb imagined the worst. </p><p>“Oh…” Carefully, Cobb asked. “Is...he…”</p><p>A sharp “No” sniped the dreaded question out of the air. </p><p>Cobb didn’t press. “You want to come in outta the dust? Got spotchka and a room to drink it in private.”</p><p>Mando’s visor didn’t lift. He brushed past Cobb without a word, cape flowing behind him with the sort of theatrics Cobb knew wasn’t ever on purpose.</p><p>Cobb followed. </p><p>Queequigg had a bottle of glowing alcohol at the ready. “Hey, Mando! Uh...wow...good to see ya back. You uh...staying long or…” The bartender’s eyes drifted over to Cobb, heavy brow suggestively wiggling before Cobb shot it down with a warning look and a shake of his head. </p><p>That was the consequence of having a bartender as a best friend: You reveal too much over too many free drinks.</p><p>As soon as the spotchka bottle thudded on the counter, the Mando snatched it up. Rather than go to the private room, he went straight for a nearby table.</p><p>Cobb’s table.</p><p>The table Cobb sat at day after day, grieving for his armor as much as for the Mando that took it.</p><p>
  <em> And now here he is, My Person, sitting here at my table.  </em>
</p><p>Mando kicked out the chair across from him, his visor still not quite lining up with Cobb’s eye-level. </p><p>Cobb wasn’t sure what to make of any of this, but he took two glasses from the counter and eased into the chair. </p><p>Mando poured into Cobb’s glass first, then his own. With a sigh barely audible through his vocoder, Mando set the bottle down and clutched the glass.</p><p>Cobb had a joke at-the-ready regarding straws and helmets, but it died when Mando’s helmet joined the bottle on the table.</p><p>“...What are you doing?” Mando asked, with a gentler voice than the helmet’s speaker advertised.</p><p>Cobb kept his eyes covered. “Nothin’.”</p><p>“Cobb...it’s okay. You can look.”</p><p>“As ya wish…” He lowered his hand.</p><p><em> Like a starplankton pining for the purgill, </em> thought Cobb. <em> This ain’t fair. </em></p><p>No two ways about it, the Mandalorian was heartbreakingly beautiful. While the scruffy-face and mussy hair was boyish and sweet, his dark eyes were glassy and soulful with a deep sort of pain, both old and new.</p><p>
  <em> Too new.  </em>
</p><p>Mando tried to offer a smile, but it didn’t quite take.</p><p>Cobb decided then to smile for the both of them. Letting all his warmth and affection pour into two trusty words: “Hey, partner...”</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>Without a helmet between them, that single syllable was prettier than any canary song in the galaxy.</p><p>They sat quietly for an eon-sized minute. </p><p>Just lookin’. Just watchin’. Just takin’ it all in. </p><p>Cobb was never one for long silences, but sometimes…</p><p>Sometimes, two old souls wearin’ heartbreak on their sleeves just gotta sit quietly and share the burden.</p><p>“I thought you’d be green.”</p><p>Mando’s face cracked with a quiet huff of a laugh. “No. I’m human.”</p><p>“I see that.” Cobb tilted his head. “So...what does this all mean? Are you retired?”</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“Okay...are you on a break from bounty huntin’?”</p><p>Mando offered a small shrug.</p><p>Cobb had never been one to pull teeth, but there was glistening emotion in those vulnerable dark eyes. It was plain to see, Mando couldn’t muster up more than a few words and keep his feelings in check at the same time. The man was broken and lost.</p><p>
  <em> But not so lost that he couldn’t find his way back here. That was somethin’. </em>
</p><p>“That’s okay. Are you…” He forced an easy smile. “Are you...just passing through, then?”</p><p>“...”  Mando’s eyes lowered to his untouched drink.</p><p>Cobb wondered if Queequigg had enough spotchka and sad jizz music to drown Cobb’s sorrows after watching Mando leave a second time. The last time felt like a herd of banthas trampled his heart to bits.</p><p>“The town’s missed you.” </p><p>“The whole town?” Mando asked, eyes still anchored to the spotchka.</p><p>Cobb shrugged. “Queequigg, mostly.”</p><p>“Kraytspit, Marshal…Tell him!” Queequigg barked from the other side of the Cantina.</p><p>Mando’s gaze locked with Cobb’s. “Tell me what?”</p><p>Tongue-tied ain’t exactly a word to describe Cobb Vanth, but those big ol’ brown eyes were looking at him, and Cobb didn’t know how to even begin this conversation. </p><p>How does he explain that the Mandalorian, a man that didn’t have a name or a face to him, was Cobb Vanth’s Person?</p><p>How does he express that watching Mando leave was one of Cobb’s harder days and he don’t ever want to experience that feeling again?</p><p>But hell, “coward” wasn’t a word to describe Cobb, neither, right?</p><p>“I just…” Cobb gripped his drink. “I just missed you somethin’ fierce is all.”</p><p>“Something fierce?” Mando repeated. Both his eyebrows raised.. </p><p>Cobb bristled. “Yeah...what of it?”</p><p>“I missed you, too, Cobb.”</p><p>“Yeah?” Cobb blurted, before realizing what Mando actually said. “...you did?” </p><p>Mando nodded, the gesture muted as if still wearing the helmet. </p><p>Cobb felt the knot in his stomach begin to untangle. He huffed a laugh. “Ya don’t call, ya don’t write? A fella might get the idea you forgot all about him.”</p><p>“I should have. I didn’t forget. I was busy.” </p><p>“With the kid?”</p><p>A shadow of pain passes over Mando’s face. “Yes. He’s with his people. He’s safe now.” He finally takes a sip of his drink and Cobb downs his in one shot. “The kid n’ I. We’ll be together again, one day. For now…”</p><p>“...now you can hang up your spurs for a spell and enjoy the sun.”</p><p>“You are a poet, Cobb Vanth.”</p><p>Cobb’s sideways grin was laced with charm. “Oh, I got a few prose in me. Play your cards right n’ I’ll write ya some, Mando.”</p><p>“Din.”</p><p>Cobb blinked. “Huh?”</p><p>“My name...It’s Din...Din Djarin.” The faint smile stayed on Din’s face. “If I’m sticking around, you should probably know my name.”</p><p>“Din Djarin...Well, it’s nice to meet you, Din.”</p><p>Cobb started to reach across the table to shake Din’s hand, but instead he took a chance and rested his arm on the table, fingerless gloved hand relaxed and waiting.</p><p>Din regarded the hand, and Cobb watched in-real-time as Din’s entire body relax. Burden actively slid off Din’s shoulders, and worry eased from his heavy brow. </p><p>Din removed his armored glove, and set it on the table, then he slipped his calloused hand into Cobb’s, squeezing it warmly.</p><p>Din broke the silence first. “It’s like...a pair of womp rats hooked at the tail, right?”</p><p>Cobb’s jaw dropped. “How…?”</p><p>Din’s smile almost showed teeth...almost. “Heard it from a bartender.”</p><p>“Yeah…” Cobb shot a look at Queequigg’s cheeky smirk, but it was hard to scowl through his own elated grin. “As soon as my hand’s free I’m gonna strangle you, buddy.”</p><p>“You’re welcome!” </p><p>“Do you want your hand back?” Din asked, his thumb running over Cobb’s knuckles.</p><p>“Never.” Cobb grinned. “I’m good right here.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>With that Queequigg snuck off to leave the Marshal and his Mandalorian time to catch up.</p><p>And, lucky for him, Cobb didn’t have his hand free for a very long time after that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Follow me on Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/sneakybunyip">SneakyBunyip</a><br/></p></blockquote></div></div>
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